San Francisco is a bird watcher's paradise (results of a recent 24 hour census)

[Duncan Grant]

<snip>
What makes the city's 49 square miles such a paradise for birds is its position on the Pacific Flyway, a major migratory route. Traveling birds rest and feed here, and the Mediterranean climate is welcoming to the residents who stay year round.

The assortment of ecosystems - bluffs and beaches, saltwater tidal marsh, mudflats and fresh creeks - provide haven habitat for waterfowl, seabirds, shorebirds and song birds.

"People were really surprised that there was that much diversity here," said David Armstrong, a birder from the Miraloma Park neighborhood on the south side of Mount Davidson who organized the event that won feathery fame for the city.

"For a highly urbanized area, 178 species, that's not bad," he said. "When you talk to people birding in the city, they're surprised there are more than pigeons and seagulls."
<snip>

Details and a list of the census results can be found at SFGate.com.